Award-winning LGBTQ doc, Emergence: Out of the Shadows now on YouTube

June 12, 2023 Queer Forty Staff 2 min read

Sher Vancouver has announced the release of the English, Hindi, and Punjabi subtitled versions of Vinay Giridhar’s award-winning debut feature documentary Emergence: Out of the Shadows on YouTube.

Emergence: Out of the Shadows offers a powerful and moving account of LGBTQ+ individuals coming out in the South Asian (Punjabi Sikh) community in Metro Vancouver and the reactions of their parents. The film has won multiple awards and has been an official selection at nearly 50 established film festivals worldwide, including an Academy Award, BAFTA, and five Canadian Screen Award qualifying festivals including the Vancouver Queer Film Festival, the Vancouver Asian Film Festival where it was nominated for three major awards, and the Vancouver International South Asian Film Festival where it was the Closing Night Film and picked up Best Documentary. It has also had over fifty screenings in schools across British Columbia. The documentary was broadcast on three television stations in Canada, including Knowledge Network, TV Ontario, and OUTtv.

Producer and cast member Alex Sangha has stated that films about coming out in the South Asian community are essential as they help raise awareness and understanding about the unique challenges faced by LGBTQ+ individuals in this community.

“The release of the English, Hindi, and Punjabi subtitled versions of Emergence: Out of the Shadows is a significant milestone for the film and for Sher Vancouver,” says Sangha. “We are proud to bring the film to a wider audience, and we hope that it will continue to educate and inspire people to support LGBTQ+ individuals everywhere.”

On set of Emergence: Out of the Shadows — Alex Sangha, Jaspal Sangha, and Kayden Bhangu in Emergence: Out of the Shadows (2021). Photo Credit: IMDB

Emergence: Out of the Shadows has been approved to go into Grade 10 to 12 classrooms throughout the Surrey School District. The film’s official website provides further information about the project, including a Teacher’s Discussion Guide that is available for free download.

All three versions of the film are now available for free viewing on the official Sher Vancouver channel on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/@shervancouver.

ENGLISH VERSION